Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Special Operations Squad

At this moment, Stanley caught the curved blade thrown to him by Chen Cao. The sharp edge was still slick with Chen Cao’s warm blood, droplets falling to the ground. He felt spasms coursing up from his thigh, his eyes wide as he stared blankly at Chen Cao. This was no longer the young man who had flinched in terror at the sound of gunfire, but rather a demon freshly emerged from hell.

Commander Frederica, a seasoned veteran of many battles, simply laughed and called for the medic. “Though our cultures may differ, today I have witnessed the martial spirit of the Great Sun True God’s followers. Come, hurry and dress Mr. Matsumoto’s wounds. We have more urgent matters to attend to!”

“Wait!” Chen Cao, waving his bloodied arm, stopped Frederica from ordering treatment. He turned to him and declared, “Mr. Frederica, I admire your character and the honor you display in battle. Today, we agreed to test the fighting spirit and loyalty of our clerics to their respective gods. To let it end like this would be a grave disrespect to the divine!”

“We must give them a show of strength, or our future activities may be constrained!” Chen Cao thought privately.

Frederica’s expression hardened as he addressed Chen Cao. “Then, Mr. Matsumoto, what exactly do you propose?”

“I want to see the loyalty of your alliance’s holy warriors to their god,” Chen Cao replied with a sinister smile. “Otherwise, I’ll report to my father and withdraw our investment and support.”

“Very well! Stanley,” Frederica said, “use the holy blade in your hand to prove your loyalty to the true god!” His tone turned solemn as he added, staring at Stanley, “Don’t let the organization down.”

A chill ran down Stanley’s back, and a sudden warmth spread down his thighs, bringing numbness. The curved blade in his trembling hand felt heavier and heavier, nearly slipping from his grasp.

Yet, as a battle-hardened soldier, Stanley understood Frederica’s unspoken warning. He needed to outdo Chen Cao’s cruelty to save face for Frederica; otherwise, Frederica would surely make his life unbearable.

With a shout, Stanley closed his eyes, turned the blade horizontally against his abdomen, and prepared to pull it through—only to find his hand stopped by a bloody grip.

Despairing, Stanley looked up to see Chen Cao’s face, pale from blood loss. Chen Cao snatched the blade from Stanley and smiled. “The holy war will go on. A great battle is imminent. We can’t let our warriors bleed in vain. Commander Frederica is a merciful emissary of the true god; he wouldn’t want you to do this, would you, Mr. Frederica?”

He was giving Frederica a way out.

Frederica, sharp as ever, caught the cue. His blue eyes flickered as he burst out laughing. “Yes, yes, Mr. Matsumoto, your magnanimity is impressive. To cooperate with a partner like you is an honor for our holy war organization. Medic, tend to Mr. Chen. Do you need rest, sir, or shall we continue our discussions?”

The portly interpreter was sweating under the effort of translation, the medic had already begun dressing Chen Cao’s wounds, and Stanley cast Chen Cao a grateful look.

Chen Cao glanced at the bandages wrapped around his arm and smiled at Stanley, retaining his innocent air while thinking to himself, “Another escape route secured.”

Frederica placed the button-shaped chip, extracted from Chen Cao’s arm, into a card reader attached to a laptop. It turned out to be a chip.

The computer quickly loaded its data, revealing a detailed plan. Chen Cao saw it and smiled faintly.

“The real Matsumoto Shuren had long since been captured by the Vulture—hiding a chip in his arm was a secret the old intelligence officer had teased out. That chubby fellow might look like a nouveau riche, but he’s quite capable after all!”

Of course, part of the detailed plan had been completely altered to fit Chen Cao’s own agenda.

As Frederica examined the transaction plan, he frowned and pointed to a red-highlighted item. “It says here we need to visit our new recruit training base. What’s this about?”

Naturally, Chen Cao couldn’t reveal his true intentions. Lifting a bowl of still-warm sheep’s milk wine, he replied, “I must familiarize myself with your training methods. Only then can I report and provide you with appropriate weapons. We may be fellow believers and friends, but we can’t allow you to name any price you please, can we?”

“Oh?” Frederica furrowed his brow at Chen Cao’s forthrightness, thought for a moment, then nodded. “All right, it’s settled. How long do you need to inspect? You know we’re about to launch a major battle and need those weapons urgently.”

“Don’t worry,” Chen Cao reassured him, “I came alone because I was prepared. Once I finish my inspection, the weapons will be airlifted to you within three days through special channels, laying a solid foundation for your great holy war and the cause of building a free nation!”

“Hm.” Frederica continued to scrutinize the transaction plan, still feeling uneasy but unable to pinpoint why.

That night, Chen Cao was sent to inspect a new recruit training base of the Holy War Alliance. On the way, Stanley insisted on treating him to a drink to express his gratitude, but Chen Cao politely declined and even took out two gold coins, gifting them to Stanley.

Surprised, Stanley feigned reluctance twice, but the greedy gleam in his eyes betrayed him as he quickly accepted. His attitude toward Chen Cao became even more attentive, as if the young man before him, barely twenty, was his personal deity.

Along the way, sentries both obvious and hidden appeared, but Stanley produced a sheepskin pass at each checkpoint to smooth their passage.

Gazing at the runes etched on the sheepskin, Chen Cao surmised it must be some kind of entry pass. He resolved to get one for himself.

When they reached the entrance to the new recruit training base, two sentries suddenly sprang out, startling Stanley. He knocked them aside with a slap, then made a respectful gesture, inviting Chen Cao inside.

Inside the command tent, Stanley bustled about. “Mr. Matsumoto, this is your room. Everything is prepared—you’ll have ample water and food, and someone to attend to your needs. If anything is lacking, just say so!”

“Very good,” Chen Cao said, hands at his waist as he examined the clean sheets and the bed, nodding in approval.

Stanley had hoped for another gold coin, but seeing none forthcoming, he stood there in mild disappointment.

Chen Cao turned to look at him. “Is there anything else?”

“No, no, Mr. Matsumoto, please rest. I’ll check on you tomorrow!” Stanley even used a few words of English, fearing to arouse Chen Cao’s displeasure. In his eyes now, Chen Cao was a veritable goldmine.

Stanley reluctantly took his leave.

Once the door closed softly, Chen Cao drew back the tent’s curtain and gazed at the crescent moon and stars overhead, a slight smile on his lips. “Though I’ve paid a small price, at least the first step of my plan has succeeded. I must move quickly—the longer Zhou Hongye and the others have to hold out, the greater the danger.”

He changed clothes, arranged the bedding to mimic a sleeping figure, and quietly slipped out.

Meanwhile, inside the stone-walled fortress of the Vulture, at the highest level, a group of soldiers in desert camouflage sat around a stone table—Chen Diwen, Xiao Li, Giant Bear, and Bao Li. All wore blank expressions, awaiting orders from Guo Qianshuang, who sat nearby, sipping tea in silence.

The Vulture eyed their youthful faces, rolling his eyes as he remarked to Guo Qianshuang, “It’s only been a few years since I left, and you’re already sending kids to do the job!”

Unmoved by the jest, Guo Qianshuang replied coldly, “Get to the point. We don’t have much patience.”

The Vulture straightened, pulled out a sheet of white paper, and took a sip of tea—secret writing immediately appeared on the paper’s surface.

When Guo Qianshuang finished reading, she struck a match and burned the paper to ash, its glow illuminating her fair face.

The Vulture grew serious. “What do you need?”

“Vehicles, guns, sufficient food, and essential military equipment. Looks like we’ll have to prepare for a long campaign,” Guo Qianshuang replied.

“No problem. I’ll take care of it right away,” the Vulture said, rising and leaving the room.

“Come here, all of you!” Guo Qianshuang called to the young men at the stone table once the Vulture had gone.

She looked at the group, whose average age was barely twenty. To the nation, they might seem too green, but to Unit 0611, they were rigorously trained elites. This mission was of utmost importance, concerning the nation’s honor and safety, and the security of the entire 0611 intelligence system. Their full talents would be needed.

“I’ll assign the tasks now. I’ll stay here to provide technical support, so Chen Diwen will be in command for this operation. Any questions?” she asked.

“No,” came the firm and quiet reply.

“All right, Chen Diwen, stay. The rest of you, prepare,” she instructed.

“Yes!” they answered crisply, then filed out, leaving Chen Diwen alone.

Guo Qianshuang turned serious. “Here’s the mission and our route. You must... you must…” she said, her tone grave as she laid out the plan.

As he listened, Chen Diwen's expression grew increasingly solemn, and he nodded slightly.

“Chen Diwen, you’ve undertaken many life-and-death assignments this past year. Your command abilities are unmatched at the academy, but this mission is different. Your only goal is success—do not get bogged down. Once complete, withdraw immediately. I’ll meet you at the designated point,” Guo Qianshuang said firmly, then added softly, “I want you all to come back alive. The academy and the country need you.”

Chen Diwen straightened his back, clenching his fists. “I guarantee the mission’s success!”